1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to a device that applies a peristaltic effect to dispense precise amounts of material. A system incorporating the device and a method of using the device are also disclosed.
2. Related Art
In the art of material dispensing systems, efforts for more accurate dispensing devices and systems are continuously being made. Metering accuracy is highly desirous wherein accuracies of actually metering material, for example, within 5% of the desired quantity of metered material are important in certain technologies, such as computer chip underfill dispensing.
Further, the costs of maintenance and cleaning of dispensing systems is highly regarded, as with any manufacturing costs. With most precision metering systems, significant manhours and manufacturing downtime, which translate into costs, must be expended to clean the material dispensing system between dispensing cycles, uses, workshifts, or material changes. Often with material dispensing systems, such as those used in computer chip underfill operations, the entire dispensing end of the system has to be changed out with a second dispensing end when the system has to be cleaned. As a result, a manufacturer is, in essence, forced to procure and keep at least two dispensing ends on hand per each dispensing system. This is a significant cost because the dispensing ends are typically quite expensive. Some, for example, may cost thousands of dollars.
In the art of underfilling computer chips, many of the aforementioned deficiencies are exacerbated because underfill material typically has a short pot life and is also very expensive.
Another deficiency with the use of underfill material in dispensing systems, is that because the fillers (e.g., quartz, silica, glass-based materials, etc.) used in the underfill material have scouring properties, the underfill material shortens the life of the dispensing systems that it comes into contact with. In particular, rubber seals, metal, and other dispensing system parts wear out quicker due to the scouring action caused by these fillers.
Thus, a need exists for a precision metering device, system, and method which overcomes these, and other, deficiencies in the art.